2/6/20
Beginner Template
Week 1 - Day 1
Back Squat
135 x 4 @ 5
145 x 4 @ 6
165 x 4 @ 8
e1rm: 197
Bench Press TnG
115 x 9 @ 10
95 x 10 @ 7
95 x 8 @ 10
e1rm: 152
Conventional Deadlift
185 x 8 @ 8
185 X 8 @ 9
155 X 8 @ 8
e1rm: 253
Weight: 230.6lbs
Waist: 45.25"
Hell yeah, bro.
2/7/20
Beginner Template
Week 1 - Day 2
Standing Overhead Press
75 x 4 @ 5
80 x 4 @ 7
85 x 4 @ 8
e1rm: 102
Back Squat
115 x 7 @ 6
125 x 7 @ 7
135 x 7 @ 7
e1rm: 185
Barbell Row
65 x 10 @ 5
85 x 10 @ 9
75 x 10 @ 8
e1rm: 120
2/10/20
Beginner Template
Week 1 - Day 3
Conventional Deadlift
185 x 4 @ 6
195 x 4 @ 7
200 x 4 @ 8
e1rm: 239
I experienced some fairly sharp back pain in my lower right back. I considered doing my third set at 195 again instead of increasing the weight but instead I took an extra minute of rest and walked around, did some air squats, dropped the weight on the bar to 135 and did a few reps, then increased the weight one more time and did some reps. Then I went for my third set at 200. Pain was still present and sharp but it wasn’t more pronounced than when I pulled 195 @ 7. The plan is to keep training through it and hope the pain decreases as my strength increases and my body adapts to the training.
Bench Press TnG
95 x 8 @ 6
105 x 8 @ 7
110 x 8 @ 8
e1rm: 151
Back Squat
95 x 10 @ 6
105 x 10 @ 7
115 x 10 @ 8
e1rm: 168
The higher volume of squats was tough from a conditioning standpoint. I felt like I could have put way more weight on the bar but I was so winded. Definitely thankful for the variation in rep ranges in this template because my need for that was the most apparent thing to me from this training session.
2/14/20
Beginner Template
Week 2 - Day 1
Back Squat
155 x 4 @ 6
165 x 4 @ 7
175 x 4 @ 8
175 x 4 @ 8
Bench Press TnG
90 x 10 @ 6
95 x 10 @ 7
100 x 10 @ 8
100 x 10 @ 8
Conventional Deadlift
135 x 8 @ 6
155 x 8 @ 7
175 x 8 @ 8
165 x 8 @ 8
2/16/20
Beginner Template
Week 2 - Day 2
Standing Overhead Press
80 x 4 @ 6
85 x 4 @ 7
90 x 4 @ 8
90 x 4 @ 8
Back Squats
135 x 7 @ 6
140 x 7 @ 7
145 x 7 @ 8
145 x 7 @ 8
Barbell Rows
90 x 10 @ 6
95 x 10 @ 7
100 x 10 @ 8
100 x 10 @ 8
2/21/20
Beginner Template
Week 2 - Day 3
Conventional Deadlift
Not really sure what to “count” as my working sets. I planned for my first working set to be 195 but as I was warming up with 175 I felt something tweak in my back, but it wasn’t intolerable so I finished the warmup. Finally I went to pull 195 and on the first rep it hurt pretty bad (borderline intolerable). I went for the second rep and about half way up I had to drop the barbell because of the pain. This was my first experience with a real back tweak so I walked around a bit, did some air squats, air deadlifts, and then pulled 135 x 4, 135 x 4, 140 x 4.
Bench Press
100 x 8 @ 6
105 x 8 @ 7
110 x 8 @ 8
110 x 8 @ 8
Back Squats
95 x 10 @ 6
105 x 10 @ 7
115 x 10 @ 8
115 x 10 @ 8
These 10 rep back squats kill me. My conditioning sucks so I definitely need to make sure I am diligent to hit the GPP so I can increase my work capacity.
2/23/20
Beginner Template
Week 3 - Day 1
Back Squat
155 x 4 @ 6
160 x 4 @ 7
165 x 4 @ 8
165 x 4 @ 8
My back tweak was fairly painful on these squats
Bench Press
95 x 10 @ 6
100 x 10 @ 7
105 x 10 @ 8
105 x 10 @ 8
Conventional Deadlift
Had to scale these way back due to the pain in my back
95 x 8 @ 6
95 x 8 @ 7
95 x 8 @ 8
95 x 8 @ 9
7 day weight average: 225.4lbs
Waist: 42.75
2/24/20
Beginner Template
Week 3 - Day 2
Overhead Press
85 x 4 @ 6
90 x 4 @ 7
95 x 4 @ 8
95 x 4 @ 10
RPE jumped up quick on that last set and I almost failed my last rep.
Back Squats
140 x 7 @ 6
145 x 7 @ 7
150 x 7 @ 8
150 x 7 @ 8
First few warmup sets I was afraid my back tweak would interfere with my loading but as I kept working the pain improved and I was able to load the bar as I had intended.
Barbell Rows
95 x 10 @ 6
100 x 10 @ 7
105 x 10 @ 8
105 x 10 @10
Once again, RPE jumped up really fast on that last set
2/29/20
Beginner Template
Week 3 - Day 3
Conventional Deadlift
About a week before this session I tweaked my back pretty bad and have been working on rehabbing it. I felt like I was going to be alright this session but while I was warming up the pain shot my RPE up more than I was expecting. I ended up doing the following…
115 x 4 @ 6
135 x 4 @ 7
145 x 4 @ 10 (this was where the pain got incredibly bad. after which I couldn’t really bend over to grab the bar so I ended up walking around doing some air squats and air DLs. ended up doing one more set of RDLs with only the bar)
45 x 4 (RDL) @ 9
Bench Press
Because of how badly my DL and Squat suffered from pain I was super excited about the progress I made on my bench. I added about 20-25lbs to my bench in the last week…
125 x 8 @ 6
130 x 8 @ 7
135 x 7 @ 10
130 x 7 @ 10
I probably could have kept 130 on the bar for the sets @ 7 as well as both sets @ 8
Back Squat
back pain was pretty bad at this point and couldn’t really even walk out with weight on my back. I did some sets of air squats and tried putting the bar on my back but it was too painful. finished out with some more air squats.
I think my expectation was that rehabbing my back wouldn’t take more than a week but I’m going to try and take it a bit slower over the next few weeks. Not planning to move onto Phase 2 of the program until my back is fully rehabbed.
7 day weight average: 223.2
Waist circumference: 42.25
3/3/20
Beginner Template
Week 4 - Day 1
Back Squat
Back pain was giving me a lot of problems
135 x 4 @ 6
140 x 4 @ 7
145 x 4 @ 8
145 x 4 @ 8
Bench Press
105 x 10 @ 6
110 x 10 @ 7
115 x 10 @ 8
115 x 10 @ 8
Conventional Deadlift
Still trying to rehab my back as it’s clearly hyper sensitive to the conventional deadlift movement. Intended to only pull 95lbs off blocks today but on my second set I felt the pop in my back again. I walked around a bit, did some air squats, tried to do some air deadlifts but was simply unable to bend forward at first. Finally after some more walking and air squats I was able to do a few sets of air deadlifts. Tried some empty bar RDLs and that was too much stress on my back and was unable to do 1. did some more air dead lifts and called it. My Plan is to try Sumo and see how I do on that, the pain is definitely occurring when I lean my back forward hinging at my hips as well as when I flex my back.
3/4/20
Beginner Template
Week 4 - Day 2
Standing Overhead Press
90 x 4 @ 6
95 x 4 @ 7
100 x 4 @ 8
95 x 4 @ 8
95 x 4 @ 9
Back Squat
135 x 7 @ 6
145 x 7 @ 7
150 x 7 @ 8
150 x 6 (lost count) @ 7
I still feel a little uncomfortable going into the hole because of the back pain, but this session felt a bit better.
Lat Pulldowns (Subbed for Barbell Rows due to Back Pain)
95 x 10 @ 6
105 x 10 @ 7
110 x 10 @ 8
110 x 10 @ 8
3/6/20
Beginner Template
Week 4 - Day 3
Sumo Deadlift
155 x 4 @ 6
175 x 4 @ 7
185 x 4 @ 8
175 x 4 @ 8
Switched to Sumo because of all of my struggles with DL and my lower back. This was so much more tolerable and encouraging to train through. I did feel a bit of back fatigue when I was pulling 185 so my next set I dropped to 175 but RPE stayed at 8. Excited I finally found a way to train through this back tweak from a few weeks ago!
Bench Press
125 x 8 @ 6
130 x 8 @ 7
135 x 8 @ 8
135 x 8 @ 10
I’m really digging bench press right now. I feel like things are clicking and I’m regularly making gains on this movement.
Back Squat
115 x 10 @ 6
125 x 10 @ 7
135 x 10 @ 8
135 x 10 @ 8
3/8/20
Beginner Template
Week 4.2 - Day 1
Back Squat
175 x 4 @ 6
185 x 4 @ 7
195 x 4 @ 8
135 x 4 @ 8
On the last rep of my first set @8 I felt that pop and tweak in my back. Interestingly, 195lbs is the same weight I originally tweaked my back on DL and on my first set at 195 squatting the same thing happened (although more minor this time). I walked around some and felt fairly fine, did some air squats, and decided to take the weight down to 135 and see how it went. It was tolerable but RPE 8. Thankfully I haven’t had much pain after. Hoping this doesn’t become a big process of hurting myself every time in the gym like the last 2 weeks with DL have been.
Bench Press
115 x 10 @ 6
120 x 10 @ 7
125 x 10 @ 8
125 x 10 @ 10
Again, loving bench right now
Sumo Deadlift
115 x 8 @ 6
125 x 8 @ 7
135 x 8 @ 8
135 x 8 @ 8
Felt a touch of pain in my back from my earlier tweak squatting but it wasn’t too bad. By the end my back did feel a bit of fatigue.
7 day average weight: 220.9
Waist circumfrance: 42
3/14/20
Beginner Template
Week ? - Day ?
Been almost a week since I was able to train due to my work schedule. Trying to self quarantine as much as possible because of this pandemic we’re in right now. I know I’m not in a high risk demographic, but I am a pastor of a church with some folks in high risk demographics as well as my parents so I’m trying to remain as un-exposed as possible so as not to unknowingly infect others. But, what are you gonna do, not train? (I actually just got that shirt in the mail today) I have a set of adjustable dumbbells that go up to 70lbs so I just adapted the exercises for dumbbells. I didn’t really track my weights or anything because I hope this pandemic ends shortly and I can get back to the barbell movements, I just don’t want to wait around and detrain at all. I kept the rep ranges and sets the same with the prescribed RPE, just didn’t take the time to record the weights I did
Dumbbell OH Press
x4 @ 6
x4 @ 7
x3 @ 10
x4 @8
x4 @ 8
Goblet Squat
x7 @ 6
x7 @ 7
x7 @ 7
x7 @ 7
x7 @ 7 (did some extras cause 70lbs couldn’t really get my RPE higher. I may try lunges next time so I can use both dumbbells)
Single Arm Dumbbell Rows
x10 @ 6
x10 @ 7
x10 @ 8
x10 @ 9
5/11/20
Beginner Template
Week 1 - Day 1
Starting the beginner template from the beginning after quarantine. Felt so good to get back to the gym and I don’t thin I lost much (if any) strength. Most noticeable loss was conditioning.
Back Squat
155 x 4 @ 6
165 x 4 @ 7
170 x 4 @ 8
Bench Press
100 x 10 @ 6
105 x 10 @ 7
110 x 10 @ 8
Sumo Deadlift
155 x 8 @ 6
175 x 8 @ 7
185 x 8 @ 8
Session Time: 90 min
Session RPE: 8
5/13/20
Beginner Template
Week 1 - Day 2
Standing Overhead Press
85 x 4 @ 6
90 x 4 @ 7
95 x 4 @ 8
Back Squat
140 x 7 @ 6
150 x 7 @ 7
155 x 7 @ 8
Barbell Rows
85 x 10 @ 6
95 x 10 @ 7
100 x 10 @ 8
Session Time: 55 min
Session RPE: 7
5/16/20
Beginner Template
Week 1 - Day 3
Sumo Deadlift
175 x 4 @ 6
185 x 4 @ 7
195 x 4 @ 8
I felt really good about this primarily because the first time I started the beginner template I was pulling conventional and I tweaked my back really bad pulling 195. I felt a little nervous pulling 195 again but I did it with no pain. That mental barrier was conquered.
Bench Press
110 x 8 @ 6
115 x 8 @ 7
120 x 8 @ 8
Back Squat
115 x 10 @ 6
120 x 10 @ 7
125 x 10 @ 8
Session Time: 75 minutes
Session RPE: 7
5/18/20
Beginner Template
Week 2 - Day 1
Back Squat
175 x 4 @ 6
180 x 4 @ 7
185 x 4 @ 8
185 x 4 @ 8
Bench Press
105 x 10 @ 6
110 x 10 @ 7
115 x 10 @ 8
115 x 10 @ 8
Sumo Deadlift
175 x 8 @ 6
185 x 8 @ 7
195 x 8 @ 8
195 x 8 @ 8
I was really happy with this. Once I got over the mental hurdle of picking 195 lbs off the floor without hurting my back I was able to do the same weight I did x 4 two days before but I did it x 8
Session Time: 105 min
Session RPE: 7
5/20/20
Beginner Template
Week 2 - Day 2
Standing Overhead Press
90 x 4 @ 7
95 x 4 @ 8
100 x 3 @ 10
95 x 4 @ 10
Back Squat
150 x 7 @ 6
155 x 7 @ 7
160 x 7 @ 8
160 x 7 @ 8
Barbell Row
95 x 10 @ 6
100 x 10 @ 7
105 x 10 @ 8
105 x 10 @ 8
Session Time: 90 min
Session RPE: 7.5
7 day average weight: 207 lbs
Waist circumference: 38"